Gunmen Attack Enugu Government House

 

 

 

Security personnel have foiled an attempt by about 50 armed men to forcefully gain entry into the Government House, Enugu in the early hours of Saturday morning.

 Police officers, men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and soldiers were among the security operatives who shot several times at the invaders and prevented them from gaining entry into the Government House.

 It was learnt that during the shootout, one of the attackers was killed and three others arrested.

 The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sullivan Chime, Mr. Chukwudi Achife, confirmed the attack.

 He said the shootout lasted till about 4.30am.

“No security personnel was injured during the attack,” he said.

 Achife added that the arrested persons, along with some of the weapons (machetes), have since been handed over to the Enugu State Police Command for further investigations.

 A police source told our correspondent that the attackers arrived Government House in seven buses and parked about 400 metres from the gate.

 He said, “They carried flags with different inscriptions and insignia said to be those of some secret cults.”

They were said to have told the security men to open the gate claiming that they were at the Government House on protest.

 According to eyewitness account, when one the NSCDC officials opened the gate to ask why they decided to come in the night, one of the invaders cut him on the hand and made attempts to force the gate open for their members to go in.

“Sensing that there was danger, the security operatives rushed out only to see many of them clubbing machetes and were giving orders to their members to move into the Government House,” said an eyewitness.

 Our correspondent gathered that the Chief Security Officer to Governor Sullivan Chime, Mr. Fidelis Ogarabe, who rushed to the scene, immediately took control of the situation.

 It was gathered that the security operatives succeeded in repelling them after hours of shooting.

 They had pursued them from the Government House premises into the Independence Layout but only succeeded in arresting three.

 It was earnt that the young men, some of who tied red bands similar to those of the Bakasi Boys operating in Onitsha and Aba, escaped the bullets as they were suspected to be wearing local bullet proofs popularly called ‘Odieshi’ in Igbo